Has anyone gone to Trader Joe's very recently?

sherry7899 · 04-01-20, 12:50 PM

I had read that they have an employee outside enforcing six feet between customers, that they are wiping down each cart before you take it, allowing only a small amount of people in at a time and squirting hand sanitizer for each customer. If you use your own bags, you need to bag groceries yourself.

Has this been anyone 's experience? We are trying to shop as little as possible, but we have my been there in over three weeks. Thank you!

toaster · 04-01-20, 12:56 PM

A co-worker of mine (who is very paranoid) was there a week ago yesterday. She said they are doing all of those things and that she had a good experience. Wegmans is also engaging in many of these same practices. They have lines that you have to stand behind at checkout and are wiping the conveyor belt every time.

bzar · 04-01-20, 01:06 PM

Costco has been doing this for the past 2 weeks. Sam's caught on about a week later.

They created a pathway to enter the store by creating "walls" with stacked up wooden pallets about 5' high, this prevents people from cutting in line. they also limit the # of people, and the cashier lines have spaced-out (6') tape on the floor of where you stand before moving forward. They also wipe down all of the carts, and offer cleaning wipes to each customer.

In Sam's, once you get in the store, there's a special line for paper products, also "tunneled" with either upside-down carts or yellow "do not cross" tape.

in both stores, their optical departments are both closed.

once you get in, it's fairly "wide open" - you can move around without bumping into another person.

our local CVS has a new sign by the cashier that they are not allowing returns for "non prescription" products until further notice. I think prescriptions have always been non-returnable by law.

CharM · 04-01-20, 01:26 PM

Trader Joe's has been doing that for 3 weeks or so around here (northern CA). I haven't gone because I read that it can take forever, but it looks like all grocery stores will be required to follow similar guidelines in the next couple of days. Expect it to happen in every state/county with shelter in place rules.

cam522 · 04-01-20, 01:37 PM

We went to Trader Joe's on Saturday, they only allow up to 30 people in the store at a time. There was a line outside and everyone was at least 6 feet apart and it moved rather quickly.

TracyQ · 04-01-20, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cam522

We went to Trader Joe's on Saturday, they only allow up to 30 people in the store at a time. There was a line outside and everyone was at least 6 feet apart and it moved rather quickly.

We went yesterday. When my husband saw the line he said no way are we waiting but I insisted because I really needed things. It actually looked a lot longer than it was because everyone was at least six feet apart. The clerk who was at the door was friendly with a big smile on his face (at the same time he was wiping down shopping carts). They didn’t offer hand sanitizer (I had my own) and Massachusetts has a temporary ban on using reusable bags (during the pandemic). At the register they had an X on the floor where we had to stand which was probably five feet (maybe six) from the cashier. I did have to step forward to put my credit card into the machine. The bagger stepped back so we could take our bags without getting to close to each other.

Keep in mind though they are limiting 2 items per customer (except for produce).

ddj · 04-01-20, 01:41 PM

I went to Costco last week, and they did have the pallet maze. And the yellow tape on the floor. They also had sneeze (cough) shields in front of each cash register, and a gal was wiping it down after every customer.

I haven't been to Trader Joe's because I didn't know if they even had anything. (We have a very small store.) Whole Foods was bare last week, so I didn't go this week. Perhaps they have restocked.

I'm trying to get to stores as soon as they open to avoid crowds as much as possible, but since the seniors get the first hour, I don't know that it helps. Bread is almost impossible to find. Many things are being restocked, but others aren't. I did snag a bottle of rubbing alcohol at Walmart.

I ordered a thermometer at Amazon that is supposed to be here by tomorrow, but tracking doesn't indicate it has even moved since it supposedly shipped last Wednesday. But then it shipped from China, so who knows. DH and DS both have to check their temp before going to work, and they are having to share an oral thermometer because it's all we have. I'm trying to sterilize it between uses. I can't find one anywhere.

Mopsy · 04-01-20, 12:57 PM

I was there a couple of hours ago. There was someone outside with a spray bottle and a sign saying something like they will only let in a certain number of people if it got busy. It wasn't busy when I was there. We said hi - she was more of a greeter, but she may have been spraying the carts.

I did have to bag my own purchases (I did bring my own bags, but still used one of their paper ones), although the cashier offered to help if I needed it.

Pat58 · 04-02-20, 01:35 PM

I joined Costco about three weeks ago for the express reason that they had toilet paper in stock!

I've been blown away by Costco customer service. All the employees were gloved, cleaning surfaces and maintaining a distance. My only complaint was at the enrollment desk the associate kept getting in my face. I wrote to Costco about it and they emailed me back the next morning with a photograph of the very service desk I was at - I recognized the employees! They put tables in front of the counter so customers were distanced from the employees. They must have looked at video footage from around the time I was there.

When I got gas there was an employee in each line wiping down the gas pump handles and ATM thingie after each use, too. Since then they instituted senior hour and now have limits that only two people on one card can go in.

The Costco customers are another story. Like most stores most of them don't worry about their distance from you. Why do Costco customers wander around in a daze?

I was afraid for being run over by their carts.

bfit · 04-02-20, 09:29 PM

In California now all grocery stores have until tomorrow to limit the number of people in the store, enforce the 6 foot spacing in the lines, and limit each customer to 2 each of popular items (like toilet paper). A lot of stores were already doing the crowd control measures, but now they all have to, and I'm glad. I'm also glad about limiting purchases to prevent hoarding. Some stores also have senior citizen shopping hours for an hour or so in the morning before normal opening time so that seniors can shop in a less crowded store when it is freshly stocked and cleaned. The senior hours are not required.

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04-01-20, 12:50 PM
sherry7899 Join Date: Jun 2003	Has anyone gone to Trader Joe's very recently? I had read that they have an employee outside enforcing six feet between customers, that they are wiping down each cart before you take it, allowing only a small amount of people in at a time and squirting hand sanitizer for each customer. If you use your own bags, you need to bag groceries yourself. Has this been anyone 's experience? We are trying to shop as little as possible, but we have my been there in over three weeks. Thank you! __________________ "Say you are tired and you will be. Believe you are strong and you are." (Sean O'Malley) The cat in my avatar is my sweetheart named Bonkers

04-01-20, 12:56 PM
toaster Exchange Moderator Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Western NY	A co-worker of mine (who is very paranoid) was there a week ago yesterday. She said they are doing all of those things and that she had a good experience. Wegmans is also engaging in many of these same practices. They have lines that you have to stand behind at checkout and are wiping the conveyor belt every time. __________________ Beth aka Toaster (she/her) *Follow me @YogiBethC* YouTube\|Instagram\|Facebook And yes, I am Reviewer Dr. Beth on Amazon.

04-01-20, 01:06 PM
bzar Exchange Moderator Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: PalmTreeVille	Costco has been doing this for the past 2 weeks. Sam's caught on about a week later. They created a pathway to enter the store by creating "walls" with stacked up wooden pallets about 5' high, this prevents people from cutting in line. they also limit the # of people, and the cashier lines have spaced-out (6') tape on the floor of where you stand before moving forward. They also wipe down all of the carts, and offer cleaning wipes to each customer. In Sam's, once you get in the store, there's a special line for paper products, also "tunneled" with either upside-down carts or yellow "do not cross" tape. in both stores, their optical departments are both closed. once you get in, it's fairly "wide open" - you can move around without bumping into another person. our local CVS has a new sign by the cashier that they are not allowing returns for "non prescription" products until further notice. I think prescriptions have always been non-returnable by law. __________________ ~jeannine Miyagi: Wax on, right hand. Wax off, left hand. Wax on, wax off. Breathe in through nose, out the mouth. Wax on, wax off. Don't forget to breathe, very important. [walks away, still making circular motions with hands] ~ Pat Morita, The Karate Kid, 1984 disclosure: in the years 2002-2004 i had a professional relationship with a distributor of fitness videos; see profile.

04-01-20, 01:26 PM
CharM Join Date: Oct 2004	Trader Joe's has been doing that for 3 weeks or so around here (northern CA). I haven't gone because I read that it can take forever, but it looks like all grocery stores will be required to follow similar guidelines in the next couple of days. Expect it to happen in every state/county with shelter in place rules.

04-01-20, 01:37 PM
cam522 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: MI	We went to Trader Joe's on Saturday, they only allow up to 30 people in the store at a time. There was a line outside and everyone was at least 6 feet apart and it moved rather quickly. __________________ Weider X-Factor graduate 04/12 MET Rx 180 graduate 10/12 JMBR graduate 06/13 BJ Gaddour's MetaShred 11/02/2019

04-01-20, 01:41 PM
ddj VF Supporter Join Date: Oct 2008	I went to Costco last week, and they did have the pallet maze. And the yellow tape on the floor. They also had sneeze (cough) shields in front of each cash register, and a gal was wiping it down after every customer. I haven't been to Trader Joe's because I didn't know if they even had anything. (We have a very small store.) Whole Foods was bare last week, so I didn't go this week. Perhaps they have restocked. I'm trying to get to stores as soon as they open to avoid crowds as much as possible, but since the seniors get the first hour, I don't know that it helps. Bread is almost impossible to find. Many things are being restocked, but others aren't. I did snag a bottle of rubbing alcohol at Walmart. I ordered a thermometer at Amazon that is supposed to be here by tomorrow, but tracking doesn't indicate it has even moved since it supposedly shipped last Wednesday. But then it shipped from China, so who knows. DH and DS both have to check their temp before going to work, and they are having to share an oral thermometer because it's all we have. I'm trying to sterilize it between uses. I can't find one anywhere. __________________ Jumping for joy is good exercise.

04-01-20, 12:57 PM
Mopsy VF Supporter Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: central New York	I was there a couple of hours ago. There was someone outside with a spray bottle and a sign saying something like they will only let in a certain number of people if it got busy. It wasn't busy when I was there. We said hi - she was more of a greeter, but she may have been spraying the carts. I did have to bag my own purchases (I did bring my own bags, but still used one of their paper ones), although the cashier offered to help if I needed it. __________________ Louise

04-02-20, 01:35 PM
Pat58 VF Supporter Join Date: May 2002 Location: Connecticut	I joined Costco about three weeks ago for the express reason that they had toilet paper in stock! I've been blown away by Costco customer service. All the employees were gloved, cleaning surfaces and maintaining a distance. My only complaint was at the enrollment desk the associate kept getting in my face. I wrote to Costco about it and they emailed me back the next morning with a photograph of the very service desk I was at - I recognized the employees! They put tables in front of the counter so customers were distanced from the employees. They must have looked at video footage from around the time I was there. When I got gas there was an employee in each line wiping down the gas pump handles and ATM thingie after each use, too. Since then they instituted senior hour and now have limits that only two people on one card can go in. The Costco customers are another story. Like most stores most of them don't worry about their distance from you. Why do Costco customers wander around in a daze? I was afraid for being run over by their carts.

04-02-20, 09:29 PM
bfit Join Date: Nov 2005	In California now all grocery stores have until tomorrow to limit the number of people in the store, enforce the 6 foot spacing in the lines, and limit each customer to 2 each of popular items (like toilet paper). A lot of stores were already doing the crowd control measures, but now they all have to, and I'm glad. I'm also glad about limiting purchases to prevent hoarding. Some stores also have senior citizen shopping hours for an hour or so in the morning before normal opening time so that seniors can shop in a less crowded store when it is freshly stocked and cleaned. The senior hours are not required.